white house. that is tuesday on "today." for us here, we'll be back next week. if it's sunday, it's "meet the press." what we have now isn't good for anybody. what we have in place today, the status quo is horrible for america. >> republican senator marco rubio, hitting all seven sunday talk shows as you see it there, no holds barred and he does it in support of an immigration reform bill that will be voted on on wednesday. secretary of state john kerry on a diplomatic mission in korea. the television premier of the film, "the dream is now" right here on msnbc and we'll talk to

young undocumented immigrant who is can finally speak out and the filmmaker giving them a voice. first, tensions rising on the korean prince, today secretary of state john kerry in japan also offering new talks with north korea if they honor previous commitments. u.s. and south korean officials are bracing for a possible rocket launch by the north. this has often been a day that they have acted provocatively. amen, good morning to you and how is the region preparing for this missile test that we have been talking about for so many days? >> good afternoon to you, richard, preparations definitely been underway here not only in japan but across the region, let's tart off here in tokyo,

the government is sparing no resource to protect the public from a possible rocket tlaunch could go over japanese air space. they have deployed two destroyers, all of these having the capability to intercept any potential rocket fire that could go through japanese air space. meanwhile the united states and south korea and other militaries have been on a heightened state of alert over the past several days, thousands of troops have amassed near the border in south korea in anticipation of that possible rocket. there's a sense of tension from a military perspective and from the government's perspective, on the streets here in tokyo, it's been business as usual to most of the people we have been speaking to. sunday and monday have been working days and although they are anxious having lived through these types of tensions, they have heard rhetoric to try and get more confessions from the six party talks.

>> a lot of talk about talks. six party talks have waned over the decade. south korea and the united states have sort of pledged to get north korea to give us it's -- >> john kerry essentially announced that there is now a consensus among the more important countries in those talks, including south korea, china and japan, including keeping the peninsula denucle denucleari denuclearized. it sets a road block to the north korean government that they cannot pursue nuclear development as they have in the past couple of years. china is the lifeline to north

korea, of the only -- prevent them from having nuclear weapons but more important to implement the agreements that are reached in those six party talks and that's the most r poefrs important part when we look at the geo political alliances in the region. there's a deal on background checks is up for debate in the assistant this week, gabriel giffords is headed back to d.c. saying her passion for the gun debate is helping her recover from her own gunshot injurieses. >> gabby's doing great, she works really, really hard on her rehab, she does physical rehab, occupational, speech therapy, she's reenergized by being involved in something that's going to improve people's lives. >> secretary of state john kerry in japan today who was able to see a japanese buddhist temple.

and after over four hours on the golf coast yesterday, president obama hit the basketball court today. nbc news will have an exclusive interview with him on tuesday when savannah guthrie speaks to the president of the "today" show, when obama speaks on gun control and immigration. eight in ten latino americans support giving undocumented immigrants a path toward citizenship. marco rubio explains the process of howard t the bill will hit t house on tuesday. >> it's not a take it or leave it offer. it focuses on reform. i think it's a very good piece

of election, a very good law. i think from them we are going to get ways to improve this. >> as we mentioned at the top of the show, seven stops on the morning shows. joining me right now is nbc news senior political editor mark murray, and msnbc columnist. nbc learning that the four democrats and republicans who have been working on this, the gang of 8, they're getting together and planning to brief their colleagues of the details on monday evening. as we get these details, what's the thought here? over 1,000 pages some are saying? is there something for everyone and if not, who might actually stop this process? >> this is the best opportunity that immigration reform advocates have had in many years particularly after trying immigration reform in 2001,

2005, 2006 and 2007. as you mentioned, nearly 2/3, 64% favor a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. but it also includes more than half of americans. most of the public issues that president obama is pursuing, the overwhelming majority of americans proposal. here there is a split and that gives you a sense of why, while immigration reform though not easy has an impact on president obama's big agenda items. >> david, let's talk about border security in the bill. you wrote last week that if asked if the provisions are strong enough to ask his gop support ifs to vote for this, he said damned if i know. the buzz word amnesty, what is the president doing about the criticism within his own party? saying that's exactly what this planning has is amnesty. >> that was a sticking point for

rubio to be involved in this group, as he decided to put his name on this on tuesday, he wanted to make pains to say that he didn't want this process to go too quickly and that border control be a top provision. he pointed out that this border security is a strong new plan that would be in place within five years and if not, another commission made up of governors and other experts along the border will be in place to add before illegal immigrants get a green card. so that's the issue, a number of usa today, an anti-immigration group called it a obama-rubio -- you heard on "meet the press" that he's continuing to say we're going to try to make this better, we're open to amendments, if any major amendments come long to water down the bill, he might have to walk away from it. >> more details on what this

plan might be. here's a new legal status if you look into the details of what we're hearing at the moment to provide some of that information to our viewers, that the possible provisional legal status would include this right here. it would say that we would have to remain the united states for ten years, you would be able to apply former rid based green cards, you would have to get behind existing wait listers, you would have to have a green card for three years then you could apply for u.s. citizenship. so this would be a new legal status. what's the debate going to be around this? does this satisfy everybody? >> in its current form, there's going to be a lot of debate. but the key is that it's the starting point. we have so many groups around this with competing interests. it is going to be a starting point. to get the green card after you're on the pathway to citizenship is another three years, so that's 13 years, and so that same poll that we were speaking of the nbc news poll.

three-quarters of citizenship support -- >> is that amnesty there, though? >> i wouldn't say it's amnesty because there's definitely aspects that are punitive, paying the back taxes, fines, fee, these are people who are working below sus -- us exclusive as accessible as possible. i do give marco rubio ath of credit at this point, he has wavered and given himself variations on this process. going on all these shows he is owning it. no matter what he says at this point, it's his, i give him the credit, he's crossing the line. >> let's talk about the amendments that will start to take shape as the bill is into duszed coming this week. how do those amendments be as a question. marco rubio speaking about that process. >> is there something that happens in that debate?

the amendment process that causes you to step back and say i can no longer support this compromise agreement? >> i have been very clear at what my principles will look like and if i have to abandon my principles certainly i wouldn't accept that. >> what would make him walk and how key would it be if he were not to be in this process? >> the big sticking point for marco rubio has always been on two fronts, one on transparency in making through the process is very trangs parent and open. that's one thing that's being met for him. and to tie that path of citizenship to that -- i really don't see an ability for him, particularly after going and selling this on all these shows that he would be able to walk away. richard, to answer your initial claim on the amendments process, that's always a treacherous path for the united states senate,

people can always introduce poison pills, various amendments on things to hurt the overall legislation. but you'll probably see so many senators in agreement on this, that it might not be that big of a problem. >> how far are we in this process, how much support it has? are they 80% through? >> there's eight senators involved and rubio from 92 senators and then you have to open it up to the house. and president obama has been very supportive. this is a key issue for him. some of the liberal groups are going to say we don't want this to be a trigger for some of the -- democrats offline that it's not a trigger, it's goals and that could be a major sticking point and it's up to obama to say whether that trigger is okay or not and he's

going to be taking a lot of pressure so that could be an issue that causes rubio to have some heartburn. >> 50% there? >> i think more than 50% is there, we still have struggles on the house, but it's coming along. >> gun legislation will fit the senate floor as soon as tomorrow avera afternoon on top of what we have already been talking about. and how the climate for reform has changed. >> and senator, tell me, this man is a republican who is willing to make just the slightest compromise on gun control, he's going to lose his job too. >> sn wlrks take nrkn lrksz tak control, you're watching the place for politics. with wholesome noodles and bite sized chicken, nothing brings you together like chicken noodle soup from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

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well immigration bill is set to take washington by storm this week on tuesday.

but not before gun and gun legislation hits the floor at 2:00 p.m. eastern tomorrow. joe manchin and republican pat toomey are bringing their compromise on background checks to the senate. here's senator john mccain on cnn today. >> are you on board with that? can you ge go with that? >> i'm very favorably disposed but first i would like to thank pat and joe for their work together. i'm very favorably disposed towards that. >> might we have a deal here is the question. power couple republicans mary bono back and cmack do you thin manchin/too manymey bill has -- >> it's fun to hear this sort of

dialogue going on. but you never know in politics and you certainly don't count your chickens before they're hatched. if you're 1% not there, you're still not there. but it's tremendous progress for this congress compared to the last, they're talking to one another. so there's hope. >> we'll actually fly above that poll rise fray. connie, pat toomey, ara with the nra, they have already been fairly vocal, those who are on the right with him. in fact there's discontent. this was what was on cbs earlier. >> do you think the nra will penalize you in some way? >> i don't know, we have had a good relationship over the years, we disagree over this. bob, the chips will fall where they fall, my job is doing what i think is right. >> i know being a fiscal conservative from pennsylvania, swing state r they going to go

after his seat now that they are going after manchin? >> who knows whether they go after his seat. but pat toomey has been someone, he hasn't put himself out there as necessarily being -- he is a fiscal guy. this is what he has kind of made his political career on so he decided to step into the fray on this issue and we'll see how it works out for him. >> every lawmaker should hope and pray they have a moment in their career where someone is going to come at them. and this is their moment where he can actually come out and do something that's going to upset his own party? and those opportunities don't happen that often in a congressman. and congratulations for him sticking his neck out. >> he has democrats on his side as he goes up for re-election. it does work towards his efforts

here. >> following up what mary said, i would say it in a different way, if this is what he truly believes in and this is what he's going to put himself out to the voters for and that is h he put himself out to the voters for. a . >> talking about your state, mary. let's talk about california. >> oh, good, the sane one. >> in our new nbc/washington journal poll, only 1% of americans here believe that our borders are totally secure. coming from a border state, when you look at what has been discussed so far in the immigration bill, does it fix the problem? >> i think that, look, you know, the emotions in california got so high, the rhetoric gis toned down and people really are looking at what's in the best

interests of our country going forward. the immigration bill -- when you come from a congressional district like the one i represented who cares deeply about agriculture, we cared about the building trade, we cared about the hospitality trade, we really need to do something about immigration. but we want to make sure that the people in california realize that our board is secure. >> what's your thought? and marco rubio, a guy dwr your state front and center, does he come out smelling better? >> marco has put a lot on the lined he was a leader on this issue. if it comes from marco at this point, he has brought a lot of republicans to the debate and to the side but if you don't secure the borders u like the north and

south and the sea ports and airports, that is really what we're trying to get at. 1% of people believe that our borders are secure. people remember '84, there was a promise of border security as a part of am netsity and people want to make sure it doesn't happen again. up next, amping it up, marco rubio takes a strong stand against beyonce and jay-z's trip to cuba. and the dream is now, which premiers rite here in less than an hour on msnbc. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief

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get shot down. and that is not a metaphor, they will literally throw the bill up in the air and shoot it with a gun, i have seen it once it rea senator joe manchin and at the toomey's bill will -- into the political gray ground we go now, more than a week after jay z's and beyonce's trip to cuba, jay-missed jay jay-z missed a chance to -- >> there is in fact a rapper right now in cuba who is on a hunger strike and has been persecuted because of his lyrics. >> rubio says the current policy towards cuba needs to be tightened because some people go to cuba as tourists and provide

hard currency to, quote, fund the tie ran -- senator john kerry greets a toddler on his trip to a buddhist temple. he then gave the secretary of state a hug. kerry thanked the child in japanese. kerry went to block north korea's attempt to launch a missile in the region. and did the climate change to the film an inconveniently truth. daved gunen him joins us live. >> they are americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one, on paper. >> next we'll meet the immigrants whose lives change when the president said those very words. [ male announcer ] when these come together,

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good afternoon, i'm richard lui, you're watching msnbc, the new place for politics. we have a documentary called "the dream is now" that talks about the immigration bill that will be debated in the senate this week. many children have a secret that if exposed could turn their lives up side down. an msnbc contributor in her own words. >> what we're talking about is 11 million individuals living within our borders that are doing the work of an underground economy that we know exist. most folks don't realize that these people pay billions of dollars already into our

economy, whether it's social security or state a and local taxes, but let's take we do in it in a way that we benefit from their -- they are asian, they are russian, they are irish, they are individuals that reflect our very fiber. when we talk to the majority of americans, they actually believe in a pathway to citizenship. how can we get washington to pay attention to where the rest of us are? we need to make sure we're making on calls to our elected officials 57kd that our undocumented -- if they're breaking laws and considered criminals, that means that each one of us americans are a accomplices in our american economy. if we go to our grocery store for tonight's dinner, someone picked those groceries for us and those individuals more than likely are undocumented.

we're talking about individuals who have lived in our economy for more than ten years, individuals that work for us, that work with us, that are part of our parishes, part of our community and many are members of our family, and the only ray we can establish that they are part of a cohesive america that they can come out of the schad i dos now. >> young people that were brought here as children by their family as undocumented immigrants. the policy illustrates that there's nearly 1.5 million are undock -- asia and about 28,000 are from europe. let's bring in our panel, steve lee. is undocumented, brought here by his parents illegally. elena cortez is an undocumented immigrant. he was brought here by her parents as a child.

founder of defiant american and pulitzer prize winner jose antonio vargas, he is an undocumented immigrant as well. steve let's start with you. you were taken into custody back in 2010 as your story s you're still here. >> yes. >> but your parents have been deported to china. when you think about this, what was that like? what are your hopes now for the future? >> it was definitely difficult because i was actually born in lima, peru, with chinese descended parents, so it was difficult that we were going to be deported to two different places and our families is definitely broken and my hopes from this new immigration bill is that we really respect the rights of all families to be together and to be reunited. unfortunately for myself my parents were deported and i'm now going to graduate from u.c. davis next year, but i won't see

my parents during my graduation. >> elena, tough story for steve, you're actually on the website and on the website you say you're a conservative republican. when you sort of put that part of you together with the part of being undocumented, how do the politics mix in here? what comes bubbling to the top? >> you know, i get a lot of questions about how is this even possible that you can be a dreamer and a republican. it's easy, i was raised a conservative republican, i was raised in texas all my life as a christian and i think there's certain values in this bill that are long due. i think it's very important to, like i said, as a nation of christians to show our christian side and to be human. >> does this leave you very confused, if you will, elena, about the political discussion that we have been watching so

carefully in washington, d.c. and what you may want from it? >> no, i'm not at all confused. i think maybe people think that about me, but i know exactly what my morals are. i was -- i -- i was not only raised with them, but now that i'm an adult, i can tell you that those are my personal views. i'm not at all confused, i believe this is a human issue that a lot of conservatives care about. it's very human. this bill is very human and it involves very human rights, basic rights. >> great point there, elena and patrick, you became a legal resident, but your daughter allison who's in her 20s still waiting to get through the bureaucracy. i know this is a very important subject for you and your

daughter. >> it's a very hard subject to talk about. i've been legal and my wife and daughter has been undocumented and it's hard for her to go through life with no papers and this new bill that came out from president obama was a god send for us and for allison, but we're still going through the motions of getting her stuff organized and it's a very difficult process. and with the new immigration discussions coming up, we're all excited and we're hoping that things will go through pretty smoothly for everybody. >> i know you talked to your daughter before you came over to our studios today. what was she saying to you, hey, please say this, dad? >> yeah, i mean she's saying, like everybody else, i mean, we want to get this, we want to get on with our lives, when she graduated from high school, that was it. she couldn't get a driver's license, she couldn't go to

college and she wants all these things now and she wants everybody else to follow suchlt she's excited about getting it done and we are as well and as i have said, it's been a long process and it's been hard for us and for her. and as i say, hopefully there's some light at the end of the trouble. >> jose, pipe in here, you know, you have spoke within groups like these for many years now. your organization define american focuses on that very question, what is american? you look at the potential details coming out on the bill, you look at the dream act, what sorts of elements from the dream act do you see in this new reform bill and is it enough to satisfy both sides here? >> well, i mean, i think for many people republicans and democrats, the dream act seems to be -- everybody's on the same page, but we need to provide a path to legalization and citizenship to people like me who have been here -- i've been here since i was 12, went to

school here, paid taxes here, this is my home. i think the biggest thing is ow inclusive is this bill going to be? who's going to get left out? immigration is an incredibly complex topic that is not purely defined by the u.s.-mexico border. and yet all the conversation in the past few days now talking about this bill, it's almost as if everything about immigration is tied to the u.s.-mexico border. when 40% for example of the undocumented population in america actually overstayed their visa. 40% of the countiry's immigrant overstayed their visa, ant didn't cross the border. to try to come up with a solution, it's important that we secure our border, but we have to have bigger conversations than just about the boarder. >> bigger conversations and others as we have this conversation with jose and others, the a lot of emotions,

the decision being made by every day teenagers, is tough. steve, for you, you were forced to come out. it was ant decision, at least at that point in 2010 where you said, i'm going to come out as a screamer, where jose did, he came out and said i m a dream. >> uh-huh. >> talk about it, steve. >> well, up to the point i did not know what my immigration status was. i came here when i was 10 years old. i graduated from george washington high school in san francisco. i went to the university of san francisco, and on january 17 of 2010 my house was raided and myself and my parents were put in detention and that's when i knew about my imgragsz status. >> you were pulled out of

nowhere, were you completely perplexed? >> i was perplexed, surprised, shocked. i definitely don't know what to think. i thought it was a joke. but the reality really set in and it wasn't, it was real. and this can happen to anyone and any family can be torn apart in just a matter of seconds just by that loud knock on the door and this is a reality of many dreamers, not only myself but for my friends and for the people you're going to see in the documentary as well. >> elena, one of the portions of this new legislation that we have been talking about on this sunday is that anyone crossing illegally into the united states after 2011 would be deported. what's your perspective on this. is that fair? >> i do think it's fair. like i said, while it's a human issue, i think there sometimes just need to be a cap and am i

completely satisfied with it? not necessarily, i haven't read it obviously so i don't know, i can't speak on it. but i think, as long as it's a pathway, as long as it's a first step and we're all on the same page, i think we can be happy with it if we work well with it. >> another element in this, patrick, the bill expected to have a heavy focus on work skills, more opportunities perhaps would be based on that very issue. you own a business at the moment. now the focus on work skills means there may not be as much of a focus on family ties. what do you think? >> well, i think they'll talk about work skills, but a lot of students like my daughter and many other students like her are actually very well educated with computers and they work a lot with computers so i think there's a big avenue is there for students to excel in the united states with computer work and, you know, again, my darks

like, she's like because of being undocumented and getting into colleges and stuff like that but not because of this, it will open up a whole variety of stuff for her to do, to go on to school and get the proper education that she wants. >> jose i want you to finish this up, but if we can look at all three of our dreamer families for a second. we have got steve, we have elena and we also have patrick and his daughter. look at all three of them side by side here, jose, as we look at what might be happening this week, what is it that we might learn as this debate goes on, what do we want added on to the bill that's going to be presented? >> i think the main message here is how integrated, how undocumented people are to all aspects of our economy. i belong to a mixed status

family. so there are 17 million families in america who at least one member is undocumented. out of all my extendinged family, my aunts and uncles and cousins, i'm only the one that's undocumented. i'm look forward to reading this bill, it's 1,400 pages a and the zefl's going to be in the details. and the question for us is who are relieving out and why? are we making sure that we're having as big and as complex a conversation as possible, so that five, ten years from now we're not going to have the same conversation that we're having now about the u.s.-mexico border, and to define american, how do you question fine american? to me that's the heart of an immigration bill. what it's going to look like for me and what it's going to look like culturally. >> stephen lee and patrick cortez and elena punch, no

matter who on either side of the aisle is going to talking with us today. still ahead, award winning director of the dream, davis guggenheim joins us live, the premier is less than 30 minutes away. you're watching msnbc, the place for politics. i have low testosterone. there, i said it. how did i know? well, i didn't really. see, i figured low testosterone would decrease my sex drive... but when i started losing energy and became moody... that's when i had an honest conversation with my doctor. we discussed all the symptoms... then he gave me some blood tests. showed it was low t. that's it. it was a number -- not just me. [ male announcer ] today, men with low t have androgel 1.62% (testosterone gel). the #1 prescribed topical testosterone replacement therapy, increases testosterone when used daily. women and children should avoid contact with application sites. discontinue androgel and call your doctor

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alejandro is a perfect candidate for the marines, but he cannot enlist because of his undocumented status.

>> it wasn't until my sophomore year when i took driver's ed. that's kind of when it hit me. i can't get a driver's license, i can't have a state i.d. there's no way i can get into the military. i just can't fill in that space for social security. >> an excerpt there from "the dream is now." the director is davis guggenheim and davis is an academy award-winning director and producer whose credits include "an inconvenient truth" and "waiting for superman." davis, great to talk to you about this film that we're about to play here. tell me this, why did you use the story of dreamers who symbolize the bigger picture here of immigration reform? >> well, you know, richard, when i read about things like immigration reform, what's lost in that very complicated debate are the people. and it's sort of what i do with movies. in "waiting for superman," i tried to bring the children, the students whose lives were at stake, and i think people respond to that. and i think when people meet the dreamers in this movie, they're going to see the human face,

they're going to see what's at stake in this issue, not just for the dreamers in the movie, but how it affects our country and what we stand for. >> are you saying we have a lost characters of this debate? >> i do. i do. i think sometimes you look at this as numbers or there's a lot of fear about border security, there's a lot of misunderstandings that jose brought up, about what the nature of immigration is in america. and i think when you meet these dreamers, you really start to realize that they embody a very central part of the big idea of america. >> and you do that, and you're not afraid of numbers as well, as known by your documentaries. you dig into them, very well narrated, and you make the point on thedreamisnow.org that there's really $750 billion at stake here. talk about the economics in this debate. >> the american center for progress did a study saying if we pass a law just for the

dreamers, it's an added benefit to our economy by $329 billion in added taxes and spending. it's a no-brainer morally and it's a no-brainer practically. and if we get this thing done, it benefits all of us, not just the money i just talked about, but also the potential. there's a fantastic dreamer in the movie named ola, who wants to -- she's already in the university of michigan, she wants to cure cancer and she wants to work especially for low-income women. and if we kick her out, we lose that investment we made in her in our public school and state school, but do we want to give her away? do we want to give alejandro away as one of these great, incredible guys who wants to serve our country as a marine? you know, on a moral level and a practical level, i don't want to do that. >> do you see this more as unlocking just amazing futures that you're describing here, without something like the dream act or elements thereof? >> yeah, that's exactly right. and i think if you go to our

website, thedreamisnow.org, we've hemade a lot of other content and you can learn about that and you can learn about how to get involved. i think people see the movie and like it, you can see how other people see it and sign a pledge. there's a lot of momentum right now. the stars are aligning, but we can see how washington can take great momentum and shift it the other way. my hope is that the movie will gather that momentum and push congress to really get this done. >> just as is expected in the movies, when we're looking at movies being edited, you've been editing this all the way up until right now. you've been looking at each and every detail. this is as much about what needs to stand out -- talk about that -- as well as what this means to you. >> well, i want to be able to tell my kids, i've got three children, i want to be able to tell them that the american dream is real. one of the first documentaries i

ever worked on was my father and he was making a film on ellis island. we took a tug boat out there in the middle of winter and the park service guy opened up the door and i was walking on to ellis island, which had been shuttered for years, this was in the early '80s, and i was so moved by this building that represents the dream of so many americans that are now our parents and great grandparents, and those people came in undocumented as well and those people have built our country and kept it great. i want to be able to tell my kids that is still possible. >> in the 15 seconds we've got left, davis, when your kids do watch this, what do you want them to say to you? >> first of all, i have showed it to them, and they say, this is unfair. look at ola and alejandro and erika and jose, and they say, this is unfair. they've done everything right. i want the people who watch the movie to say the same thing and take action so we can get this thing done. >> davis guggenheim, thank you so much. you'll be watching this premiere

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start their business and launch their dreams. go to legalzoom.com today and make your business dream a reality. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. hi, my name is charles. >> my name is gabriel jackson. >> hi, my name is alina. >> i'm a dreamer. >> i'm a dreamer. >> i a dreamer. >> and i am undocumented. >> i arrived at the age of 5. >> i came to the u.s. when i was 8 years old. >> when i was 10. >> i'm still here, exactly where i'm supposed to be. >> hello and welcome to a very special msnbc presentation on this day. i'm richard lui. in just a moment, we're going to bring you the latest documentary from academy award-winning filmmaker, davis guggenheim. i'm richard lui. a very good day to you. he is the man who brought us "an

inconvenient truth" and "waiting for superman." guggenheim has teamed up with lorena paul jobs to produce "the dream is now." we bring this to you at a key moment for immigration reform. there are more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in america today. about 1.4 million of them came to the united states as children and 700,000 of them are currently enrolled in school. now, many of the kids we meet in the film have accomplished and excelled as their families remain in the shadows. today we stand at a critical cross roads as a vote appears imminent on immigration reform on capitol hill to provide a path to citizenship, though. until then, though, for millions, this american dream is in the balance. so with that, here is part one of "the dream is now." >> calls for immigration reform -- >> alien problem. >> could the political winds be

shifting? momentum for reform continues to build. the gang of eight may have a reform bill ready as soon as -- >> i have a hard time believing there's a real pathway to citizenship. >> what does it mean to cross the finish line? >> that reality could be in the not-too-distant future? >> can the deed get done this time, or are we doomed again for failure? >> i believe so. remember the voice -- >> called 900,000 illegal aliens -- >> by the house and senator john mccain from over the weekend. and it might shed light on, why now? >> i'll give you a little straight talk. look at the last election. >> for some people, this is the news. a story to follow or a side to take. for them, it is something else. they're from different parts of the map, but their intentions were born in the same place. here. and because they were taught at a young age to believe, they are

driven by something outside themselves. and, yes, it is a dream. but for them, the stakes couldn't be higher. >> instead of calling them illegals, let's call them occupiers. >> these are the ribbons i graduated with. and this one is for superior cadet. this is when i was commissioned for city staff command. >> gangbangers, drug smugglers, human smugglers, child molesters. >> this is my sue ma cum laude medals. >> they gave that to me because i was a top student in my school for math. >> the dream act amnesty or the nightmare act amnesty is a political hand grenade. >> i've protested, i've gotten arrested, everything, with this thing on. >> because what happens here, right now, at this very moment, is not a contest to follow or a race to be scored.

it is something very real. it is their lives. >> my mom purchased her bakery ten years ago. when she first started out, she was coming home at midnight and going back to work at 3:00 a.m. i remember just wanting to help her. and she said, i'm absolutely happy with where i am. i'm accomplishing something that only this country would have been able to give me. and ten years later, she's got an incredibly bakery, she employs americans at her business. >> when ola was 5, her family immigrated from albania, seeking political asylum. >> she gave up everything, just so that me and my sister could get an education. >> throughout my childhood, i would dress up as a doctor and tell my teacher, i want to be a

surgeon. >> the first words i learned in english were, would you like to buy tomales. i didn't even know what that meant. >> erika came to the u.s. when she was 11 years old. >> we're living in american dream. >> she was secretary of the achievers club and graduated at the top of her class. >> i checked my mail and had gotten a full scholarship. it was just a huge accomplishment for me and my family. >> you've got to be able to take it. your body's got to be able to take it. because service means you have to be ready for instant action. be prepared for anything and everything. >> eighth grade, i picked up the "flags of our fathers." that's how i learned about the plane corps. i was inspired by their courage. and as a young kid, you always look up to heroes. i just knew the marine corps was

for me. >> alejandro attended a public high school in chicago that was founded on the principles of the marine corps. >> all my closest friends were the drill team. >> his best friend was juan herrera. >> i met him my freshman year. he's like a brother to me. >> recruiter asked johnny what he wanted to be. >> everywhere we went, we would take first place overall. it was a good feeling, you know, all the hard work paid off. >> first place! >> first place! >> we used to go home with like a second or third place, we were grateful and stuff, but we weren't happy. >> last year, alejandro was named city corps staff commander for the entire city of chicago. >> so amongst the 11,000 students citywide, we chose him. he's the kind of guy that our military needs. >> when i was in high school, i

was fearless. i thought i could do anything. >> jose was a top math scholar and dreamt of being a mechanical engineer. >> this is a picture that made my mom really proud. to have all my mad science engineer books. >> he was awarded a full scholarship to arizona state university. >> i have my diploma over ehere. it has some dust on it. >> when jose graduated in 2011, there was a shortage of mechanical engineers in his state. but he could not apply for the jobs his other classmates were seeking, because he was undocumented. >> now, i'm working in stucco. every day it's physical labor. you do sanding and get shovels, heavy work.

when you think about it, you realize, hey, i have a degree, i have all of this. what am i doing? >> there's a bargain you make with your family and your teachers and you believe it work hard, do everything right, and it will pay off. but they each hit the same wall. without citizenship or a social security number, they were stuck in limbo. >> you came to the u.s. as a child, if you're a long-term u.s. resident -- >> the dream act was first introduced in 2001. but it died quickly in committee and never came to the floor for a vote. >> -- we will give you a chance to be legal in america. >> soon after, small and sometimes secret groups began to form underground on college campuses. and the leaders of a budding movement emerged, each of them motivated to change things, not

just for themselves, was for their classmates and their families. >> in november, arizona voters overwhelmingly passed proposition 300, requiring illegal immigrants to pay out of state tuition rates. >> i didn't know what he meant until i went home and did the math. >> erika's tuition quadrupled overnight. undocumented students are barred from federal aid and most state aid, putting thousands of college students in financial jeopardy. >> we were literally pushed, just our learning, how to change the system, how to change what was happening. >> erika began to realize there were thousands just like her, each with their own story. >> ever since i was little, people were always talking about the university of michigan. if you worked really hard and you went to u of m, you could really be a doctor. >> ola has dreams of going to medical school to be a surgical oncologist. >> i want to start my own organization that works with

women who have cancer but don't have the means to get top-notch doctors. >> she and her family were living in the u.s. legally, but due to a clerical error, they lost their status. while their case is being appealed, they had to check in with immigration every six months. >> you would come in, your officer would look over your paperwork, and you were good until the next one. >> alejandro is a perfect candidate for the marines, but he cannot enlist because of his undocumented status. >> it wasn't suntil my sophomor year when i took driver's ed, that's when it hit me. i can't get a driver's license, i can't get a state i.d., there's no way i can get into the military. i just can't fill in that space for the social security. >> a pentagon report found that three out of four americans do not meet a basic standards to qualify for our military. >> the state of america's youth is a threat to national security. >> a new report says that many who want to serve are physically

unfit for the job. >> turning away extraordinarily talented students, they're looking for that vehicle to give back to the country that has given to them. >> former secretary of defense robert m. gates said that the dream act would expand the pool of eligible youth who can benefit our military's readiness. >> why try if, if i can't get there, or if i will never get there? >> in 2010, dreamers led a march from miami to the nation's capital. along the way, bringing attention and opposition. >> -- and stay out of our country! >> and at the same time, states like arizona implemented invasive measures to round up and deport undocumented immigrants. >> the new law gives police broad powers to question people's immigration status and require them to provide proof of citizenship. >> they're still coming, they're

still arrogant. >> but dreamers kept pushing, with more and more individuals making their choice to risk everything. >> i'm undocumented! >> declaring their status and saying their name in public. >> my name is maria, i am undocumented. >> my name is jessica martinez. i'm undocumented! >> i'm undocumented! >> i'm undocumented, unafraid, and unashamed! >> after a quick break, how erika takes her fight to the halls of power in washington, d.c. you're watching "the dream is now" on msnbc. [ male announcer ] citi is over 200 years old. in that time there've been some good days. and some difficult ones. but, through it all we've persevered, supporting some of the biggest ideas in modern history. so why should our history matter to you?

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welcome back to the premiere presentation of the new documentary by oscar-winning filmmaker, davis guggenheim. in part two of "the dream is now," how the dreamers got president obama on their side. >> erika sought support from senator john mccain. >> we were like stalking him, literally. we were going to his town hall meetings, trying to figure out a way to talk to him. >> i want to get my degree and i want to help my country. >> i appreciate your advocacy for your fellow young people, but there's no way in the senate today that you can pass the dream act. >> mccain had tried to pass comprehensive reform with senator kennedy in 2005, but there wasn't enough support from either party. >> erika went to washington, to senate majority leader harry reid's office. >> five of us sat down in his office and we said, we're not going to move until you put it up for a vote. >> he said, well, you're a

champion. and we said, oh, thank you, but we're still going to sit here until you pass the dream act. >> they were arrested and taken into custody. >> we got a statement a little bit after that he was going to put it up for a vote. >> taking a look at the debates that are under way on capitol hill. >> mr. speaker, the dream act is one of the most important pieces -- >> on december 8th, the house of representatives voted to pass the bill. if they could get 60 votes in the senate, the bill would become law. >> we're here, here are the dreamers. >> democrats hinting they may have the votes to pass -- >> pay watched as each vote was counted. >> mr. mccaskill, aye. >> mr. nelson of florida. aye. >> mr. schumer. mr. isaacson. mr. thune. bond. mr. lugar. mr. coburn. >> no. >> they were five votes shy. >> today, the senate voted

against the dream act. it would have offered a path to citizenship to some illegal immigrants. >> that's right. we just watched this key vote for the dream act. it just failed. >> illegal immigrant college students hoping to become legal students. >> it's legislation that would have allowed millions of illegal immigrants getting away with staying here in the united states legally. we the people, i believe the phrase was, no way, jose. >> experts calculate that giving citizenship to people like jose will add $329 billion to our economy in additional taxes and spending. >> i don't have as much enthusiasm as i did before. you can dream all you want, but you're still here. >> it was taught to us at an early age, play by the rules, do everything right, and you'll be okay. >> decisions, decisions. >> it would be great if it

worked like this. where even if you have a bad spin, you can laugh with your family. but if you don't have a social security number, you can play by the rules and still end up with consequences that are very real. >> i remember him following us with his little hoe, chopping, chopping grass. >> joaquin grew up in mission, texas. he was the first in his family to graduate high school. >> he didn't want to see us in poverty. he wanted something better. i saw joaquin as an engineer, i saw him as an architect, i saw him as something big. this kid is going to go places and do something with his life. >> at 16, joaquin designed the family house. >> this is going to be my mom's bedroom, and i want her to have a flower on top on the ceiling. >> he was always just trying to

outdo himself. he was trying to always do it better. when he finally started doing applications for college, whatever the status, the legal status was, that's when he kind of hit the wall. >> this notebook is his final words. it says, "dear lord, forgive me for what i'm about to do. jesus, i've realized that i have no chance in becoming a civil engineer the way i've always dreamed of here, so i'm planning on going to you and helping you construct the new temple in heaven heaven."

>> he had no hope. he thought that his whole dreams were just down the drain. they did send us a letter back saying that he was accepted. it came two days late. >> frustrated with congress, dreamers set their sights on president obama. barred from entering the white house because of their status, they met with senior adviser valerie jarrett across the street in st. john's church. they were told that the president does not have legal authority to grant deportation protection. >> we basically challenged the administration. with all due respect, we have looked into this and our attorneys have looked into this, and there are three actions the president could take. one is deferred action. >> two months later, the president held a press

conference in the rose garden. >> over the next few months, eligible individuals who do not present a risk to national security will be able to request temporary relief from deportation and apply for work authorization. >> deferred action, or doca, would give dreamers who qualify, temporary protection. when the latino vote proved decisive in president obama's re-election, the political landscape began to shift. >> senators crossing the aisle to work on immigration reform. >> there is a new appreciation on both sides of the aisle. and believe it or not, i see some glimmer of bipartisan out there. >> for the first time ever, there's more political risk in opposing immigration reform than in supporting it. >> imagine 12 million people are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers. >> and with this new momentum came the question, could this be the moment when millions of undocumented americans finally become citizens? >> now, after a quick break, ola

finds herself in handcuffs and erika's mom is sent to mexico. how the young women fight to keep their families together. you're watching "the dream is now" only on msnbc. oh, he's a fighter alright. since aflac is helping with his expenses while he can't work, he can focus on his recovery. he doesn't have to worry so much about his mortgage, groceries, or even gas bills. kick! kick... feel it! feel it! feel it! nice work! ♪ you got it! you got it! yes! aflac's gonna help take care of his expenses. and us...we're gonna get him back in fighting shape. ♪ [ male announcer ] see what's happening behind the scenes at ducktherapy.com. accomplishing even little things can become major victories. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. when i was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, my rheumatologist prescribed enbrel for my pain and stiffness, and to help stop joint damage.

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we took up the cause of the

dreamers. >> their claim is not a claim on our laws. >> we can't turn our backs on them. >> their claim is a claim on our conscience. >> and it is time to provide an opportunity -- >> that they shouldn't be under the cloud of deportation. >> welcome back. i'm richard lui. you're watching the premiere presentation of "the dream is now," the documentary by davis guggenheim which was given to msnbc to air today. and in the final part of the film you're about to see, we could see how the next few days in washington could change everything. here's that final installment of "the dream is now." >> midway through her senior year, ola got the news she's been waiting for. >> i got the e-mails, "you've been accepted." and i called my mom and she was probably happier than i was. it was an incredible feeling. >> erika applied for and received deferred action, or doca, in november of 2012. she interviewed with congresswoman kirsta sinema and

soon after was offered a position. >> i'm going to go home and tell my mom. she gave me a big hug and said, i'm really proud of you. >> at 8:00, erika heard a knock at the door. immigration agents asked to speak with her mother. >> she gets close to the door and as soon as she does, they grab her hand and they put handcuffs on her. i have to make sure that she has a jacket, in case she gets dropped off somewhere we don't kno know. >> ola and her mother went to a routine meeting at immigration headquarters. >> it was a hot, big, crowded room, dead silent. >> a supervisor led ola into a separate interrogation room.

>> you're going to be deported. it's going to be soon. i was taken to the basement, handcuffed to a chair in the hallway, six hours. i believed in this idea that if i had worked hard enough, i would earn my place here. >> i came from the friend's graduation. he's a marine now. he became a marine. we always said, you know, imagine what it would feel like

to be told laike, you know, congratulations, you're -- ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ and i dreamed that i was dying ♪ ♪ i dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly ♪ ♪ looking back down at me ♪ smiled reassuringly ♪ and i dreamed i was flying ♪ and high up above, my eyes could clearly see ♪ ♪ the statue of liberty ♪ sailing away to sea ♪ and i dreamed i was flying >> our proposals for improving and modernizing the laws which govern the admission of immigrants -- >> we've tried fixing it before.

>> -- by legislation, the bars of discrimination against those -- >> i would like to see something done about the illegal alien program -- >> must be a priority. >> i'm going to do everything i can to get an immigration -- >> i want a comprehensive bill. >> my priority in my first year as president -- >> both republicans and democrats have tried. but when we get close, voices on the fringe get louder. >> until the border is sealed with a 200-foot wall, surrounded by a mote fuat, full of crocodi- >> until the images come. >> it's nothing new for us. pick a moment in history, and you can always find an invading race. the chinese, the jews, the irish, the italians, there was

always a new "other" we were told to fear. and consistent throughout the struggle is a battle between our very worst instincts and our very best. that this "other" has become us. and they have always made us better. >> hello, my name is erika. and if i am talking to you right now, it's because my mother was just taken by immigration. >> erika posted her story and sent it to everyone she knew.

ola was released after ten hours in the detention center. her attorney said there was a possibility she could stay in the country, but her mother would have to leave. >> no, there's no way we're doing that. >> she decided to go public with her story. >> it's not about you anymore. you're doing them an injustice if you keep quiet about it. >> at 4:00 a.m., erika drove to the detention center and asked to see her mother. >> they said, she's gone. >> her mother was on a bus, headed the for mexico. >> i didn't know if i was going to see her again. >> ola created a petition, asking for a temporary stay and went looking for signatures. >> there's really nothing to lose at this point. >> erika's youtube video went viral. support was building, but with

all their efforts, there was no response from immigration and customs enforcement. >> they chained her arms, her legs. that's it. i'm going to mexico. >> at 8:00 a.m., erika held a press conference, appealing to the nation for help. >> stop pretending like nothing is wrong. stop pretending that we're just living normal lives, because we're not. this could happen to any of us. >> within hours, 18,000 people had signed her petition and thousands called immigration headquarters, demanding her mother's release. ola collected over 15,000 signatures. >> i started to make more copies. it took off like wildfire. >> they organized a series of rallies. >> my friends made banners, posters, t-shirts. >> erika's mother deportation had become national news. >> an attempt to deport a 55-year-old mexican woman -- >> the undocumented mother of -- >> erika andiola's mother. >> we may not be rich, we may

not have everything in the world, but we know how to work. started texting all my friends. >> hundreds of pages, for hours. >> we can fight. >> my sense of fighting. >> and then i got a call from my mom. >> at 12:00 noon, the bus returned. ♪ >> the community stepped in. the whole country mobilized and they stopped the bus. >> one week before her high school graduation, ola was granted a temporary stay.

>> i have a chance to graduate, a chance to be a doctor. there is no better feeling than that. >> once i hear the president say, we have passed the dream act. i don't think i let him finish the statement. i just automatically leave and head out to the recruiting office. >> we've seen it work. >> one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. >> when the stakes couldn't be higher, we come together. and we make things happen.

today, momentum is building. in the days to come, a new law that could give citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants will be introduced in congress and there is growing support from republicans and democrats. but will there be enough votes? theirs is a story without an ending. and there are millions of others who are waiting.

join us. let's write their ending together. >> and you've been watching the premiere of the documentary, "the dream is now." we just finished watching all three installments, again, right here, exclusively on msnbc on this sunday. i would like to bring in alejandro morales, who has been watching along with us throughout this afternoon. and you just heard his story in the film itself. and alejandro, you know, this is the third time you've seen this documentary. you saw it during the premiere in washington, d.c., yet, throughout this entire process, it still was quite emotional for you. tearing up several times. what is it that still strikes a chord for you as you watch this film? there are several points. >> it's real. it's reality. and i can relate to each of

these people and i'm rear representing those people, the undocumented dreamers and every hard-working immigrant, you know, aspiring americans. it's real and, because of that, i can relate to it. i'm in that situation. you know, for joaquin, you know, my heart goes to him and to his family. it's tough. i've felt, myself, the very low, emotionally. at a point in my life, and i mean, with the support of my family and everyone out there who supports this movement, i was able to push through. so, you know, i want to thank everyone out there right now, but also, it's -- that's why. >> it's an inspiring story, alejandro, and i'm glad you pushed through. one of the emotional points, i thought, of this documentary is when you said, congratulations, you are -- so finish that for me.

>> you know, "congratulations, you are now a united states marine." and i'm still waiting to hear that. i'm waiting for my turn to be able to call myself and distinguish myself as a marine. >> alejandro, we thank you so much for being so open about your experience. you're going to stick around. and when we get back from the break, we're going to bring back two experts on the debate going on right now in washington, as well as to get their reaction to this film that we just showed, "the dream is now." we'll get their take, next. s ju. ♪ the middle of this special moment and i need to run off to the bathroom. ♪ i'm fed up with always having to put my bladder's needs ahead of my daughter. ♪ so today, i'm finally talking to my doctor about overactive bladder symptoms. [ female announcer ] know that gotta go feeling? ask your doctor about prescription toviaz. one toviaz pill a day significantly reduces

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the next 48 hours are going to be critical as the immigration debate finally gets its moment in the sun on capitol hill. the senate's gang of eight will present their bill on tuesday. and joining us right now is maria teresa kumar, she's an msnbc contributor and president of voto latino. anthony vargas also still with us, watching the documentary. he is, himself, an undocumented immigrant and founder of define americ american. and still with us in studio alejandro morales, who was featured in the film we just featured, "the dream is now." they made the choice to tell the story of immigration reform through the eyes of dreamers. you were very much involved in this, and towards the end, it was key, davis guggenheim say welcome there is always a new other. >> and the beauty about "the dream is now" is that davis was able to tell a story that is incredibly complex, incredibly

emotional and tell the stories in their voice. which is what's so beautiful. all of a sudden, he opens it up and says, you know what, america, we have to have an open conversation. we need a pathway to citizenship for 11 million, but let me give you a splice of what those 11 million look like. and alejandro's story is so compelling, because there are so many americans who believe in the armed forces and believe in the value of patriotism, and here we have a young man who not only believes in that value, but he's willing to risk his life for that american dream and that possibility for all of us. and i think that's what makes it so powerful. >> and it's also very emotional. throughout the entire documentary, five characters are telling us about. is there one that stood out for you, maria teresa. >> well, i know erika quite well, from arizona, and her story is always compelling. and i think the tragic one, obviously, is joaquin. the fact that we don't get to know his richness, the fact that we can never experience what he had to offer this country, i think that's a tragedy. because in every single shape and form, as the movie describes, he felt american.

and he didn't feel a possibility. and now with immigration reform on the horizon, my hope is that we provide that light for so many more millions. >> yeah, jose, joaquin certainly did stand out, but alejandro stood out as well, ola's story stood out. what's your perspective on this? you've seen it before? >> yeah, i've seen it before. i'm really thankful for davis and for the team at the dream is now for putting this together. it really just shows us, as you said, richard, the next 48 hours is going to be really critical. and this film reminds us this is not a democrat or republican issue. this is not about partisan politics. and this is not about -- you know, this is a personal issue. this is about people and their stories and the fact that, you know, we are, undocumented peoples are integrated in our communities, in our schools, in our workforce. and i think you also see in the documentary, you know, the diversity of this mauchovement, right, the fact that the five

characters, erika, alejandro, jose, also stand for undocumented asian people, undocumented gay people. there's a big, sizable undocumented gay people in this country, many of them young. and i think the voices being represented and the stories being represented are so crucial in this debate. >> you know, alejandro is here in the study you with us. one of the points you brought up is we also have to think about the parents, your parents. >> yes, correct. i gave a speech at benito juarez's event in chicago, and i told him, you know, we can't fight just for our dreams. we have to remember our parents and all the hard work they put in. so we have to keep fighting, not only for us, but for them. >> and as you go through that, is that the next message you would like to push forward for your parents, what you call the original dreamers? >> yes, i was in d.c. and i heard that, i heard this new movement and they're calling our parents the original dreamers, and they are.

they're the ones that came with the aspiration for a better life for us and for them, so that they are the original dreamers, so we can't forget them. they deserve it just as much as we do, or if not more. >> maria teresa, so it was shown to lawmakers earlier. have you heard nip responses to this film and what this movement is now part of? >> if anything, i think lawmakers are paying attention. why? because davis guggenheim and lorraine jobs and the producers of the film, they took an issue that has been solely labeled as a latino issue and brought, made it broader and say, this is not a latino issue, this is not an asian issue, this is an american issue. and by providing that space for lawmakers to understand that we, as americans, actually believe that we need to provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented. and when i say the majority of americans, i'm talking about 63% of americans, regardless of political stripes, are ahead of the curve. this is an opportunity to show

these faces, that the people who actually made it possible also are demonstrating and flexing that muscle. >> jose, 30 seconds to you. at the end of the documentary, it says, it's time to come together and work together. are we there? >> i am, you know, i am as optimistic as i possibly can. i can't afford to be pessimistic, because i'm alive and because our lives -- you know, i haven't seen my mother for 20 years this coming august. you know, this is about families. it's about stories. it's about human dignity. you know, and i just hope that as washington, d.c. does what washington, d.c. does, that we keep our eye on the ball. and let's actually find a solution. it's time to talk about that solution. we've heard too much about the problem. it's time to talk about the solution. >> a great panel today. thank you all three for sharing your ideas, your thoughts, your perspectives, as well as your emotion behind this very issue today. maria teresa kumar, and of course, alejandro morales, thank you for joining us.

i'm richard lui, this has been an msnbc special presentation on immigration reform. thanks for joining us. [ female announcer ] birdhouse plans. nacho pans. glass on floors. daily chores. for the little mishaps you feel use neosporin to help you heal. it kills germs so you heal four days faster. neosporin. use with band-aid brand bandages. [ male announcer ] how could a luminous protein in jellyfish, impact life expectancy in the u.s., real estate in hong kong, and the optics industry in germany? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. by the armful? by the barrelful? the carful?

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